A Paris GuideAlternative Paris

Paris,
I guess like a lot of other big cities and metropolises, has many
different faces to it. As a first timer in Paris, it is very easy to
see only one side of the coin: 'Romantic Paris', 'Paris: City of lights
and wonders'... However, a little further away from these stereotypes
resides another Paris which may be less romantic but can be really
interesting. If you get bored of visiting museum after museum and feel
like you are stuck some parisian postcard flip over the coin and check
out another other side of Paris. Generally, its quite simple to separate Paris geographically
into the areas that are interesting for me and those that are not.
First of all, the southern part (or left side of the river), that is
the 7th, 13th, 14th, 15th arrondissements (or neighborhoods) there
isn't much. Mostly rich residential areas with not much activity.
Secondly there are the central neighborhoods(1st - 6th) where we can
find the post card paris with all its famous museums, galleries and
tourists. Finally, there is north-east paris (10th,11th,18th - 20th)
where things start to get more interesting and there is quite a lot of
local activity, places to go out and just less tourist
attractions. So away from the Eiffel Tower and Moulin Rouge...

Squats and associative art spaces

Paris, home of the people's revolution against the king and the 'may
1968' student revolts has a long history of political and
social uprising. Today , in contemporary paris you can find alternative
political and cultural activity in various squats or social centers.
These are abandoned buildings (often government owned) that have been
occupied and re-appropriated by groups of artists,
performers, activists, musicians or just people that need a roof over
their head. Paris has seen many years of this squatting tradition and
though many of them have been closed down, a lot are opening and some
have managed to become legitimate and are supported by local
municipalities. For example the very famous squat "electron libre chez
robert" which is situated right in the heart of Paris at 59 rue de Rivoli
was once said to be the 4th most visited tourist attraction of Paris
and so was closed to the public a couple of years back due to health
and safety precautions. However, when walking by rue de Rivoli you can
still admire the eccentrically decorated facade of this typical
Parisian apartment building.

Many
squats are home to the ateliers and workshops of artists, the "Les
Frigos" for example is home to about 100 artist ateliers, although
nobody lives there. This 80 year old building was once a giant
refrigerator producing ice hence its name which means 'the fridges'.
Now it has been re-appropriated by numerous artists and its facade is
filled with some impressive graffiti and mural art. Although the
ateliers are usually closed to the public, there is a nice little
gallery on the ground floor that has contemporary independent art and
also a café. Sometimes, they have punctual events or 'open
days' which you can check out on their site http://www.les-frigos.com,
its address is 19 rue
des frigos in the 13th (metro Bibliotheque F.Mitterand).

Another
well known and quasi officialised squat is "La
Générale" , an immense building (about 5000m3)
with around 15 people living permanently and a collective of about 50
people occupying the ateliers and workshops on the three floors. They have
a gallery which is very well known and often shows quite avant-garde
work of upcoming or even established artists. As well, they often
organize what is called a 'fête du quartier' (neighborhood
party) which includes concerts, performances, theatre and an "open
scene" where anybody can come up and perform! Like other squats, there
is a very mixed variety of people ranging from children that go to the
school opposite, to students, to young couples with babies. For more
information and to check out for events : http://www.lagenerale.org, its
address is 10-14 rue du Générale Lasalle 19th
(Metro Pyrennée ou Belleville)

Not
far from "La Générale", in the 11th is a squat
that was opened last year and has been very active in the neighborhood
ever since. Installed in an ancient school, "La Petite Rockette" has
established a very good name for itself with a variety of open courses
ranging from capoiera to IT classes for the elderly. They have a very
busy schedule packed with expositions, concerts and theatre. Their
impact on the neighborhood is really evident and the fact that
everything is run by volunteers makes it all the more impressive. As it
is relatively speaking quite a new squat, there is a lot of energy and
motivation to keep things active and fresh. The best way to find out
what's on is to go by between 14h and 20h, from Tuesday to Saturday and
there you can probably speak to someone who can give you a flier and
maybe a visit. Its at 6
rue Saint-Maur (Metro St.Maur or Voltaire), you can also have a look at their blog: http://rockette-blog.over-blog.com . If you decide
to visit some squats, just keep in mind that as these are precarious
establishments that can be evicted over a certain period of time. As
well, there is a lot of variation in squats: between them and between
the people that are involved with them. So try not to generalize on
first view and try and speak to different people until you find someone
that is friendly.

Puces and Markets

If you have enough of spending money on the Parisian high streets or
don't have much money full stop, the Puces (Flea Market) are a fun alternative
that can become something like a treasure hunt when looking through
piles of bric-a-brac for that little something you always wanted...
There are two weekly flea markets (Puces) in Paris: "Les Puces de
Clignacourt" and "Les Puces de Montreuil". In the guides they usually
only talk about the market in Clignancourt which is more upmarket than
the one in Montreuil. It has a lot of stands which are just like normal
shops selling trendy clothes and shoes with pretty much the same prices
as much as I know. What is interesting though is its many antique shops
which have some very expensive items like paintings, furniture or
jewelry. Even if your not planning to lug a 2 meter oak
cupboard back home with you, its still worth a stroll around these
specialized antique shops in between the small alleyways of
Clignacourt. Acces to it is easy on the metro, just get off at 'Porte
de Clignacourt' on line 4 and then follow the signs to "Puces de
Clignacourt". This market is open from Saturday untill Monday, from the early morning till about 5.

My personal favorite however is the "Puces de Montreuil" which I find
has more character and is more bustling. Here things are cheaper and
you can find
some good deals but be careful because you can also get ripped off!
It is definitely acceptable to bargain and even necessary to get a
deal, something quite unusual for french standards. At times, you have
the feeling that you are in some sort of oriental bazaar with all
that shouting and pushing. You can find both new and second hand,
although the new goods tend to be quite cheap made in china quality but
it depends on what you are buying. If you take your time and have a
good look around you can find some good bargains for second hand
clothes, cutlery, or just really random stuff. You can find stuff that
you'd find in a vintage shop - just less organized and thus, cheaper.
If you
walk right to the end of the stands and the 'official' market, you'll
find a whole street filled with people selling stuff on the
street. Here its almost exclusively second hand goods and you
can find people selling anything ranging from a jar of string beans to
a lawnmower! Although a lot of the stuff here is junk you can always
find the odd item that sticks out in which case you can get a really
good deal, just make sure its not a rip off because you'll never be
able to find them again. The people here have no license to sell so
every now and then, everyone instantly packs up and walks away
as a van of police slows down. In order to get to the "Puces" you need
to get off at the 'Porte de Montreuil' metro stop on the line 9 and
then walk to the other side of the highway over the bridge.They are open
from Saturday to Monday from around 8am until 5pm when people start
packing up, its worth noting that on Monday some things will be cheaper
than Saturday because the sellers want to get rid of their stock.

As well as the flea
markets, Paris has numerous popular markets everyday in different
neighborhoods. They sell mostly fruit and veg but there are fish
mongers and butchers as well. Depending of course on the area, these
markets can vary from over priced and bourgeois to really cheap and
hectic. Its worth a visit, as these markets are a true parisian
tradition and you could even come out with some tasty french cheeses of
better quality and cheaper than the shops. As well its the best way to
get your fresh fruit and vegetables if your planning to cook or just
need some vitamins. The Barbés market, that extends from the
metro Barbés-Rochechouart all the way up to metro La Chapelle
underneath the overhead line 2, is one of the biggest and cheapest
markets in Paris. This market has an arabic medina feeling to it and
definitely doesn't adhere to any of the parisian stereotypes. You can
go on a wednesday and a friday to get your dose of real Paris before
heading up to the postcard Sacré Coeur and Montmartre. Opening
times are from 7am untill about 2.30pm and of course later on in the
day the fresh produce gets sold for less. There are many other markets
on every day, here are a couple more:

In the 1st there is the
Saint-Honoré market which is one of those bourgeois,expensive
markets I was talking about. Wednesdays from 12h30 to 20h30 and
saturdays from 7h to 15h.Metro Pyramides.
In the 3rd, the oldest closed market of paris and probably France at 39
rue de Bretagne. From Tuesday to Saturday, from 8h30 to 13h and 16
à 19h30 and Sunday from 8h30 to 14h.Metro Temple ou Filles du Calvaire.
In the 11th, there is the Belleville market which is of similar sorts
as the one in Barbés. Tuesdays and Fridays from 7h to 14h30,
Metro Belleville.
Finally in the 20th, the Davout Market that is quite small and less hectic than Barbés but quite cheap. It's on Bd Davout between Av. de la Pte de Montreuil and Rue Mendelsson. Tuesdays, Fridays, from 7h to 14h30, Metro Porte de Montreuil.

Stephanos Mangriotis

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